Saturday, August 21, 2010

The "Butterfly" shooting style brings the power of slingshots into new dimensions.

With a "wingspan" of about 1,60 meters, Jörg Sprave can break the 60 ft/lbs (80 Joule) projectile energy that the US military considers as lethal for humans.

So what would happen if a guy with the arm span of Dirk Novitzki (2,30 meters) and the power of Arnold Schwarzenegger (in his days) could achieve with a forward extended slingshot, giving him a 3 meter draw?

To find that out, a new slingshot crossbow has been designed, with a total draw length of said 3 meters. A trigger based locking mechanism allows a normal person to cock and shoot like Novitzkenegger!

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Returned yesterday from a great three week vacation on Fuerteventura, and could not wait to hit the workshop...

First, I made the prototype I designed for the boys from USASlingshots. The boys have started a slingshot business at 15, respect! I decided to give them a design for free, so they have a distinctive product. Designed it on Fuerte and made it today.

I must say it took me about two hours, and I guess that even if you make it in batches it can't be made within a few minutes...

But I am TOTALLY PLEASED with the outcome. This is one of the best designs I ever came up with.

It fits the hand ideally, both in hammer grip or with frame support. The fork height is just right, and the clamp on works GREAT. Swift band change, tubes, flats, whatever you like. The screws are flush, no edges that could cut the rubber.

I forgot how nice a trough the fork shooter performs, no handslaps, no pouch entanglements, just perfect.

The grip is really comfortable. I discovered that when I made my Cocobolo shooter.

I stained the frame so the pattern of the multiplex (20mm) comes out nicely. No varnish, though.

This time I won't publish details how to make it, I will tell the boys and noone else. No blueprints, of course. And I do not permit any copies. In fact, I herewith pass all the rights over to the boys and they can decide what they want to do with it. Sell it, use it, publish it, discard it, whatever. It is theirs. They may say that I designed it, though.

I hope that I can teach the boys how to make it, meeting the high standards people expect from a Jörg Sprave design. It may take a few attempts but in the end, if they are committed, we will manage.